Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much revenue has been raised for the public purse through the sale of properties previously owned by his Department in Wakefield in the last five years.

Since 1 April 2016, the Ministry of Justice has received a clawback payment of £55,844 in respect of an historic sale of land and sold two properties generating capital receipts of £481,000.

A decision was taken, following a public consultation, to close Wakefield Magistrates’ Court in 2016. The reasons for that decision are a matter of public record. In 2017 the MoJ transferred the former Wakefield Magistrates’ Court to Homes England. Homes England sold the property on 16 August 2019 for £207,500.